How to Create a Database In MySQL

Learn How to Create a Database in MySQL From Scratch

Relational databases are the backbone of web apps. Relational databases, such as MySQL, MS SQL Server, or PostgreSQL, store the data that web apps process. Building a database is often the first step in application development, as the database structure defines how the application can process information.

MySQL is one of the most popular databases and the right choice for building scalable web apps.

Let’s learn how to create a database in MySQL in just 3 steps.

What Is a MySQL Database?

MySQL describes a relational database management software (RDBMS).

Relational databases solve a fundamental problem that every business has: businesses need to store data. The data that businesses store is often related: for example, orders are related to customers and products.

A MySQL database stores data, and it stores information about the relationships between those data. That’s why MySQL is considered a relational database management software.

Here is a simple example of a database that stores patient information, for example. This diagram explains how we typically think about databases and database design.

The lines between the entities explain how each entity is related to each other: a patient, for example, has appointments, which generates bills.

Relational databases rely on database management systems (DBMS), such as MySQL or PostgreSQL. DBMS is the software that allows a user to communicate or query a relational database.

The basic features of a DBMS are:

1. Creation of the database structure, i.e. tables, relationships, fields, and data types.

2. A way to enter, modify, update, and delete data, usually in Structure Query Language or SQL.

3. A way to retrieve data: a user must be able to retrieve data, or subsets of data, through queries.

Here is another example of a relational database, but this time, shown as a database model with tables and fields. This database stores data about members:

To find more MySQL database templates, visit our resources here.

MySQL Database Templates

How to Create a MySQL Database in 3 Steps

Five is an online database builder designed to make creating a MySQL database much faster. It makes SQL simple. Every app developed in Five comes with its own, integrated MySQL database.

Creating a MySQL database with Five won’t be entirely effortless (but we have plenty of free templates available), but it will be significantly easier than spending 60+ hours learning various coding frameworks and languages.

In addition, with Five, your database is fully customizable and adjustable, exactly tailored to your needs.

With Five, you can

1. Set up a MySQL database in minutes, and
2. Create a login-protected, user-friendly interface that works well on the web and on any device, such as desktop, tablet, or mobile.
3. You can also easily import your existing data from Excel, Google Sheets, or CSV files straight into your MySQL database, allowing you to get started quickly.

Five also offers the flexibility to create custom business logic with code, generate PDF documents, and visualize your data through custom charts and dashboards.

Get free access to Five here and start building a relational database.

Build a MySQL Database 
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Step 1: Create your Entity-Relationship Diagram

Start by compiling a complete list of all the data that your database is supposed to store. If you are uncertain about what these data is or new to the field of database design, AI can help.

A simple shortcut is to use Chat-GPT or any other AI Large-Language Model and ask the question “Which fields would you include in a [insert name of your database] database?”.

Next, ask Chat-GPT to explain the relationships between the tables.

The desired result of step 1 is to create an Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD). If you are struggling with this step, start with a simplified representation of your database as shown above. Then break it down step-by-step into tables, database fields, and relationships.

Step 2: Start Building Your MySQL Tables

Building your tables can be done in traditional SQL using a SQL GUI such as MySQL Workbench or modern relational database builders such as Five.

Using a Traditional Tool to Create a MySQL Database

Creating a MySQL database involves several steps.

First, you need to install MySQL Server on your machine.
This can be done by downloading the MySQL installer from the official MySQL website and following the installation instructions. Once installed, you will need to start the MySQL service to ensure the server is running.

Next, you need to connect to the MySQL server.
This can be done using the MySQL Command Line Client or a graphical tool like MySQL Workbench. For command line access, you can open the terminal or command prompt and enter the command mysql -u root -p to log in as the root user. You’ll be prompted to enter the root password you set during installation.

Once connected to the MySQL server, you can create a new database using the SQL CREATE DATABASE statement. Here’s an example:

CREATE DATABASE my_new_database;

This command creates a new database named “my_new_database”. After creating the database, you can use the USE my_new_database; command to start working within this database, creating tables, inserting data, and performing other database operations.

After creating the database and selecting it using the USE statement, the next step is to create tables within the database.

Here is a simple example of creating a table named employees:

USE my_new_database;

CREATE TABLE employees (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    position VARCHAR(50),
    hire_date DATE
);

This statement creates a table employees with four columns: id, name, position, and hire_date.

The id column is set as the primary key and will auto-increment with each new record. The name column is required, while position and hire_date are optional.

Using Five to Create a MySQL Database

Five gives you a simple point-and-click database builder for MySQL. There’s no need to write CREATE DATABASE or CREATE TABLE statements in a clunky SQL GUI.

All you have to do is create tables, fields, assign data types (such as a string, float, integer, or binary), and define the relationships between tables. All this happens in a simple point-and-click interface.

One big advantage of Five is that it automatically creates Primary Keys and Foreign Keys. These keys uniquely identify records and are used to build relationships between tables.

Watch this video to better understand how to build tables in Five:

Step 3: Launching Your Database to the Cloud

MySQL Databases in Five: Key Features